Beauty Bleak in a Wasted World
by Thestias
Summary: Charon had spent his life in the employ of others who didn't give a damn about him; he was nothing more than a good shot and a meat shield, convenient and expendable. Since she could remember, Catherine had been sheltered and safe, until the day her father left; two unlikely companions, one large Wasteland; together, perhaps they can find peace. Charon/f!LW, light angst, slow-burn
1. Chapter 1

_Why do we go through this every damn night?_ The ghoul thought to himself as he stalked over to the bar at the nod from his employer, reaching out to grab the back of Patchwork's shirt and haul him bodily from the stool, ignoring his words of protest. Dragging him to the door of the Ninth Circle was automatic at that point: reach out, push the door open, and toss the other ghoul on his ass, repeat the next night. Charon was tired of the monotony of it, rotting away in the corner of the bar, in the employ of a real prick; he longed for the old days of travelling the wasteland, before he'd come into Ahzrukhal's service.

 _Thinking about the past won't do anything but put you in a bad mood; don't bother,_ he thought as he shoved open the door, lifting the struggling ghoul easily and pushing Patchwork into the hall without even bothering to look at him; good riddance.

A low yelp of pain and surprise caught his attention and he paused, looking down at the figure shoving Patchwork aside and standing, dark hair falling loose from a messy bun and hazel eyes glaring up at him from behind thick-rimmed glasses. "Watch where you're throwing people next time!" The woman huffed, hands on her hips and scowl on her face.

Charon scowled right back at her. "Maybe you should watch where you're going, Smoothskin." Without waiting for a response he turned on his heel and walked back over to his usual corner, leaning against the wall and crossing his arms over his chest, looking around as though in search of more troublemakers; his gaze kept falling on the woman, however, as she walked in and made her way to the bar, sliding easily into a stool and handing over some caps in exchange for a drink.

She was taller than almost everyone else in the Ninth Circle—possibly taller than anyone in Underworld—and dressed in combat armour, a US Army star on the back between her shoulder blades. A 10mm handgun rested at her hip, and a combat knife was strapped to her left thigh, within easy reach of her hands; though she appeared relaxed, Charon could see the practiced way her eyes swept over the bar, resting on him and lingering for a moment before moving on.

He couldn't help the curiosity that had bloomed at the sight of her; not many smoothskins ended up in Underworld, and none had ever sat and laughed with a ghoul the way she was, as Tulip took a seat beside her and the two women began chatting. _Who are you, Smoothskin?_

* * *

The whiskey she'd knocked back wasn't particularly good, and the bar owner was a creep, but the Ninth Circle wasn't bad as far as Wasteland bars went. Cat had certainly been in worse; she snorted softly, thinking of Moriarty's and the filth that covered every surface in the place. _At least this one is clean._

The patrons had eyed her when she walked in, most openly, a few more covert; she didn't mind. It was to be expected, as she was a newcomer and Carol had mentioned they didn't often have non-ghoul visitors in Underworld. One set of eyes felt heavy on her back, and it was all Cat could do to keep from squirming beneath that sharp gaze even as she chatted idly with Tulip, the friendly female ghoul she'd bartered weapons with downstairs.

 _What is his issue?_ She wondered after her second drink, chancing a glance at the tall ghoul and finding his gaze still on her; the bartender, who'd introduced himself as Ahzrukhal, noticed her looking and nodded in the man's direction. "Don't let him bother you, Smoothskin," he said in an amused voice, "he's just watching for trouble. You're not going to cause any, right?"

"Wouldn't dream of it," she replied truthfully, pasting on a smile and resisting the urge to lean away as he leered. "What's his deal, anyway?"

"Charon is my...loyal employee. I hold his contract, and in return he does as I say, which is usually throwing out the rabble." Resting his elbows on the countertop Ahzrukhal leaned closer to her. "Watches over the bar. Keeps the drunks in line. Pretty much, I point at something and Charon hurts it."

 _Charon, huh?_ "Loyal employee? What do you mean?"

Ahzrukhal shrugged, picking up a glass and wiping it down with a rag. "I hold his contract, which makes me his employer. He will do what I ask when I ask, without question. You see, Charon grew up around a very interesting group of individuals. They...well, I guess you could say that they brainwashed him."

"Brainwashed? That doesn't seem...pleasant." She chanced a glance back over to the ghoul in question but his eyes were fixed straight ahead.

"He is absolutely loyal to whomever holds his contract. Unfailing, unflinching, until the day that employment ends. Don't get me wrong, I have no doubt that he holds no end of animosity towards me. But so long as he is my employee, he is as gentle as a teddy bear." He eyes narrowed as she turned back around to face him. "What's with all the questions?"

Putting on a casual air Cat shrugged, twirling her empty glass between her hands, an idea forming in her mind. "You said he's your employee by contract? I'm interested in talking to you about that."

As she'd expected, the ghoul's eyes lit up with interest and he set down his rag and glass. "Oh? Would you, now? He is a highly valuable asset to me and to the Ninth Circle. What did you have in mind?"

She spent a moment thinking, considering her current stock of caps and those she'd stashed back home in Megaton, before voicing her first offer, intentionally low. "I'll give you 1000 caps for it."

"You're kidding, right? Come back when you have a serious offer." The ghoul scoffed and turned, reaching for a bottle of vodka on the shelf behind him.

"2000, then."

His shoulders stiffened briefly, and Cat suppressed a smile, knowing she had him as he turned, a smirk crossing his face. "I suppose that could work... yes. Yes... here's the contract. And I'll take my payment in full." As she dug out the caps Ahzrukhal pulled out a folded scrap of paper, pressing it into her hand once she'd given him the money. "I'll give you the pleasure of informing Charon yourself."

And just like that, Cat had a companion.


	2. Chapter 2

As the woman spoke in hushed tones with his employer Charon leaned casually against the wall, arms folded loosely across his chest and legs crossed at the ankles, looking for all the world as though he were lounging by choice; his eyes, however, continued to sweep the bar, looking for trouble while fighting to avoid looking at the woman again. That she spoke with Ahzrukhal made him uncomfortable; good never came from those conversations, and he dreaded to hear what sort of criminal activity he would have to take part in on behalf of his employer. The thought had him clenching his jaw, shutting his eyes as he attempted to reign in his anxiety.

Soft footsteps approached as he stood there counting to ten; he could hear the shift of armour against fabric as they stopped in front of him and shuffled, weight shifting from foot to foot, the sound of a throat clearing softly forcing his eyes open.

The moment he did Charon wanted to close them again; instead he glared down at the smoothskin, standing straight and lowering his arms to his side. "What do you want?"

She arched a perfect eyebrow and placed her hands on her hips, looking up at him, her stance defensive in response to his somewhat hostile tone. "Hey now, calm down with the attitude; I'm not here to cause you trouble or anything. I have good news: I'm your new employer."

Of all the things he'd expected the woman to say to him, that wasn't it. "You purchased my contract from Ahzrukhal?" She nodded, and his heart rate went up, blue eyes darting towards the bar where his employer—former employer—stood, watching the two of them with a sly grin. Whatever you're planning, you bastard, it's not gonna happen. I'm free of you now.

Shifting his gaze back to his new employer Charon pushed away from the wall, taking a step towards Ahzrukhal. "So, I am no longer in his service. That is good to know. Please, wait here. I must take care of something."

She stepped aside, allowing him to pass without argument; three long strides had him behind the bar, the shorter ghoul looking up at him with that infuriating half-smirk on his face. "Ahzrukhal. I am told that I am no longer in your service."

"That's right, Charon. Have you come to say goodbye?" The taunt in his tone was evident, and Charon's fingers twitched towards his gun, bringing it up in one smooth motion and pointing it right at Ahzrukhal's chest.

He didn't give Ahzrukhal time to react before pulling the trigger, bartender dropping to the ground in a spray of red, large hole where his chest used to be. Charon shot him again for good measure, watching impassively as his lifeless body jerked with the impact. "Yes."

Not bothering to wait for a reaction Charon returned to his new employer, noting with confusion the small smirk that played at the corners of her lips; stopping cautiously in front of her the ghoul waited to see how she would react, resisting the urge to shift on his feet as her sharp gaze scrutinised him.

"Let's get out of here," she finally said after a long moment, turning and pushing open the heavy bar doors and striding confidently out. "I've got a room and a bed I'm dying to fall into." Having no choice but to follow her Charon fell into step beside the shorter woman, stealing glances at her as they walked towards Carol's Place.

"Something on my face?" his new employer asked, amusement in her voice as she pushed the door open and stepped into the makeshift hotel.

The ghoul hesitated a moment before answering. "No, there is not." Her attitude confused him, and a frown turned down his mouth as she sent another maddening grin his way.

Carol looked up as they walked in, her eyes widening at the sight of Charon walking behind her newest patron. Stepping up to the desk she sat behind the tall woman leaned casually against it, one long leg crossing over the other. "Sorry for not giving you any notice, but I'll need another room for the big guy here." She hooked a thumb in his direction and both Charon and Carol looked at her in surprise as she dug out a handful of caps and placed them on the table. The female ghoul merely nodded, taking the caps with a bewildered expression on her face and gesturing them to go ahead. Giving her a wave and a smile Charon's new employer nodded at him to follow, leading him to what he assumed was her room for the time being, sitting cross-legged on the bed and looking up at him.

Thrusting a hand out towards him she gave a charming grin that even he found a bit hard to resist, eyeing her hand warily. "My name's Cat, by the way; sorry for not introducing myself to you before, this was a bit of a spur-of-the-moment decision. I really wasn't planning on having a big guy like you come with me, but," she shrugged a slender shoulder, "you looked fucking miserable and I didn't want to just leave you there."

Charon didn't reply, merely shifted on his feet, causing the woman-Cat-to roll her eyes. "Would you sit down, you tall thing? I'd like to talk about this...contract of yours, if that's okay?" A note of unsurety entered her voice as she pulled out the folded piece of paper and Charon, not one to disobey an order, took a seat in the dingy chair next to the bed. "So, how does this work, anyway? Honestly, the way Ahzrukhal worded it sounded an awful lot like slavery to me, and I'm not too keen on the idea of 'owning' another person; could I just give it to you?"

The ghoul blinked in surprise. "No; I...am not capable of holding my own contract. I must be in the employ of someone else."

She raised her eyebrows. "Really? But, why not?"

"That is just not how it works; my...training requires me to be in the employ of others."

Cat looked trouble for a moment, chewing on her lip as she fiddled with the rough edges of his contract; the words on the page had long since faded, but they didn't matter—they weren't what tied Charon to it, anyway. "Damn; I was...really hoping I would be able to free you, and then try to hire you directly to come with me."

It was a long moment before Charon could respond past his surprise. "That is...a noble intention, but it cannot be done. I must be in the employment of another; I cannot hold my own contract. If it is destroyed, then something else will have to serve as my contract." He shifted in the too-small chair, studying his new employer as she sighed in defeat. "No one has ever wanted to do that before; I am...grateful, I suppose, for the thought."

Bright eyes glanced back to his face, catching and holding his gaze steadily before her serious, somber mood suddenly lifted and an almost impish grin lit her face. "Well, Charon, I'm sure I'll find a way to free you somehow; I've already done a few impossible things, so what's one more, really?" Carefully she folded the contract and set it aside on the bed. "So, do I have to order you around and stuff, or can I just...tell you that you can do whatever you want? I really don't want to treat you like a slave; I'd rather you be as free as possible with me."

"I…" His brow furrowed and Charon took a moment to clear his throat. "Yes, is that is what you want to do."

Her answering smile was brilliant and disarming. "Great! Then from now on, do and say whatever you please; I won't order you around, and you can have as much freedom as I can give you." Standing and stumbling a bit she gestured for him to stand as well, the ghoul following her wordless order with only a small amount of confusion. "I've got to kick you out now, sorry; need to change and get some sleep, we've got a hell of a day ahead of us tomorrow."

Stepping out of the makeshift room Charon paused to glance back at her curiously, wanting to test out just how far his 'freedom' extended with her. "And what are we doing tomorrow?"

"Ever been to the Washington Monument?"


End file.
